Newsroom > Company News > Company Announcements > In Celebration of Giving Tuesday, VSP Vision Donates $150,000 to Helen Keller Intl and $50,000 to Regional Food Banks
RANCHO CORDOVA, Calif. – Today, in celebration of Giving Tuesday, VSP Vision™ announced it is donating $150,000 to Helen Keller Intl and $50,000 to five regional food banks across the U.S., in addition to free eye care and eyewear. The $200,000 give is a part of the company’s Giving Season initiative, which focuses on the connection between good nutrition and eye health.
Food-related research indicates that vitamins and minerals in various foods fuel your body and help protect vision, yet inequities in food and health systems rob more than a billion people worldwide of their health and the opportunity to see and thrive . VSP Vision will also be committing free eye care and eyewear valued at $108,000 to multiple charitable partners through its Eyes of Hope® program. Recipients will be able to visit their local VSP® network doctor to receive care.
“Poor nutrition and lack of access to basic healthcare can put children and families at an increased risk for vision loss,” said VSP Vision Chief Marketing Officer Wendy Hauteman. “We’re proud to invest in vision-related global nutrition programs to help ensure those affected by food insecurity receive both vision care and healthy, nutritious foods to see well and be well.”
More about VSP Vision’s Giving Season donation recipients:
Helen Keller Intl Over the past five years, VSP Vision Eyes of Hope has partnered with Helen Keller Intl to support their work to increase access to vision care in the U.S. As part of the partnership, VSP has provided nearly 12,000 Eyes of Hope gift certificates for free vision care from a local VSP network doctor, as well as eyewear donations, to support their schools-based and community outreach programs. This gift extends the partnership to global eye health and nutrition programs.
“We are grateful for our continued partnership with VSP Vision and their commitment to help people see,” said Nick Kourgialis, Helen Keller Intl’s Vice President, Eye Health. “Inequities in health systems around the world rob children and families of their potential. VSP Vision’s investment will help us continue to deliver the building blocks of good health, sound nutrition, and clear vision for people in greatest need.”
Food Banks Each year, VSP Vision works with food banks across the country to help provide local residents in need with eye care and eyewear. To further support the food banks this Giving Season, VSP is adding on to its existing partnerships by providing a $10,000 grant – and offering to match Giving Tuesday employee donations at 200% – to each of the following food banks where VSP employees will be volunteering: • Feeding Tampa Bay – Tampa Bay, Florida • Island Harvest, Ltd. – Melville, New York • Mid-Ohio Food Collective/Mid-Ohio Market at Heart – Columbus, Ohio • River City Food Bank – Sacramento, California • San Antonio Food Bank – San Antonio, Texas
VSP Vision’s Giving Season launched on World Sight Day (Oct. 12) with a sponsored national TV segment with SHERRI to increase awareness and understanding of the importance of eye health. The activation also announced a donation of up to $50,000 in free vision care from VSP Vision Eyes of Hope to Move-In Day Mafia, a charity dedicated to helping underserved and foster care freshman at Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) with their transition to college.
“Giving is a large part of the culture at VSP Vision,” Hauteman said. “In addition to the company’s giving, VSP Vision employees have also logged nearly 4,000 paid volunteer hours this year and have raised more than $225,000 in donations and matching funds for 526 non-profits near to their hearts.”
To learn more about VSP Vision’s commitment to care, visit vspvision.com/eyes-of-hope.
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About VSP Vision At VSP Vision™, our purpose is to empower human potential through sight. As the first national not-for-profit vision benefits company, this is what drives everything we do. For nearly 70 years, VSP has been the leader in health-focused vision care. Every day, the people that power our complementary businesses—VSP® Vision Care, Marchon Eyewear, Inc., Visionworks®, Eyefinity®, Eyeconic, VSP® Optics, and VSP® Ventures—work together to create a world where everyone can bring their best vision to life. That means providing affordable access to eye care and eyewear for more than 85 million members through a network of more than 41,000 doctors. It also means expanding access to vision care to those disadvantaged by income, distance, or disaster through VSP Vision™ Eyes of Hope®. To date, more than 3.8 million people in need have received access to no-cost eye care and eyewear through one of our Eyes of Hope programs. Learn more about how we’re reinvesting in greater vision, health, and opportunities for all at vspvision.com.